Reds have every right to question MLB All Star voting after latest results

The Cincinnati Reds don’t need to spark a conspiracy theory to figure out what happened in the first All-Star ballot update. The results tell the story. And somehow, Mookie Betts is ahead of Elly De La Cruz in the National League shortstop voting. 

To be fair, Betts is one of the best players of his generation. No one’s going to argue that. There’s plenty of respect attached to his name. But folks, this is 2026. Not saying that Betts is old. More like he’s very, very cold. He’s hitting .201/.262/.370 with seven home runs, 18 RBI,  a 76 OPS+ and 0.7 WAR.

Last time we checked, the 2026 All-Star Game is supposed to be about 2026 right? And in 2026, De La Cruz has been the better shortstop. Not just by a mile, but by several. Not to mention, he hasn't played a MLB game since May 31.

Elly entered the latest voting update with a .280/.346/.509 slash line, 12 home runs, 37 RBI, 10 steals, a 132 OPS+ and 2.2 WAR. This is probably the best version the Reds have ever seen. He’s somehow found a way to cut down some of the chaos while turning up the electricity.

Meanwhile, Betts is not thriving off of an All-Star caliber season, but surviving off of name recognition.

Elly De La Cruz getting passed by Mookie Betts exposes the flaw in MLB All-Star voting

This is where the complaint comes in about fan voting being a popularity contest. We all know that’s true. However, maybe MLB has to decide whether it wants the All-Star Game to be a showcase of the best players in the sport or a night driven by brand names.

De La Cruz has been one of the most exciting players in baseball since he burst on the scene. Suddenly he’s paired that excitement with production and he can’t earn his flowers. Instead, his reward, at least in the early votes, is placing him behind the superstar that has the more popular jersey. 

There lies the problem with MLB. They market what they want, when they want it. De La Cruz can be all over the opening packages for baseball shows, launching towering home runs and laser throws over to first to showcase a face of the future. But when it comes time to honor that in the All-Star process, Cincinnati has to take on the population of LA and the national media in order for him to earn a spot on the national stage.

The good news is that this was just the first update. De La Cruz can still make a push. And we can hope Reds fans will make plenty of noise. We know who’s had the better season. And if De La Cruz's season is not enough to beat out a struggling superstar like Betts in All-Star voting, then the problem is not Elly at all.

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